Automobile signal



Dec. 16, 1924. i l 1,519,315

G. E. LAMBERTY AUTOMOBILE S TGNA L Filed April 29, 1922 Iii@ :ummm

gn/ventola y Patented @soD ld,

(il P enonen Y @F @@'Dlllt ufr! @dd-NAL.

.application filed April 2a,

Tofell whom, may concern:

Be itlrnown that l, Groenen ld. linnn if-rr, citiaen oi the United States, residing gden, in the county oil Weber and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automobile Signais, oil which the following is a specidcation.

l/ly invention relates to improvements-ii;- autoniobile signals, and has particular reierence to such a signal embodying rneans .whereby an electric lamp or lamps are caused to glow, when the speed ol the machine exceeds a predetermined limit, thereby adording a visual signal that the speed limit is being exceeded.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device oi the above mentioned character, which is` characterized by en" treine simplicity, and is strong durable.

@ther objects and advantages ci the iiivention will be apparent during the course oli the following description.

ln the accompanying drawings, ilorrning a part olf this specication and in which like numerals are employed to designate lilte parts throughout the saine,

Fig. l is a plan, view oi a device einbodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the saure, the circuit being shown diagrammaticalli Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through' the casing of the centrifugal switch, showing the weights in the inner position andv the switch opened, l

Fig. d' is a similar view, with the weights. swung outwardly, and the switch closed,

Fig. 5 is a 'transverse section taken on Vline 5 5 oil Fig. 3, and, i

Fig. 6 is a detail section thnough a bindingrpost taken on line 6-6 oli Fig. 3.; ig. 7 is a diagrammatic view oil the arrangement of the annular contact elements.

In ,the drawings, wherein lor the purposeof illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates the front wheel of an automobile, embodying a hub 11. rllhis hub is rotatable-upon the usual spindle of the axle, and this spindlel is rigidly mounted upon a vertical shaft -12,',piv0ted within the forked end of the front axle 13. The vertical shaft is turned by a steering arm or crank 14, connected with the drag link 15, as is Well known. This is the usual con- Serial 2 o. 555 L195..

struction present in the ordinary autoincbile.

My invention oomprises'a centrifugj operated switch device, embodying a casi@j lo, which is rigidly mounted upon a bracket l?, in 'turn clamped to the arin 1li by bolts i8 or the lilre. This casing is preferably formed of metal, while any other suitable material might be employed. The cc-*vg lo has its ends closed by heads i8 i9, which are also preierably olf metal, and these heads are preferably sealed to the casing lo, by any suitable means, whereaccess Aeannot be had to the interior oi the casing lo without detection. y The purpose this is to provide means whereby the eentri'ugal switch be set or adto close selected speed, ancT the driver of the car therefore cannot a; the speed whic? the switch will close, without detected, as will be more fully explained.

The centrilfugally operated switch em bodies driving shalt 2d, travelingthrough n bearings 2l, carried by the heads i8 and i9. The snait 20, l, entends outwardly, mid has gear Q2, rigidly secured to, and this gear is in pernianentinesh with larger 23, secured to the wheel l0, adju/cent its hub, 'by any suitable ineens. @l course the ratio of the gears 22 and 23 may be varied at will, so that the switch may be niade to close at any selected speed, such as twenty-@ve miles an hour, more or less, as provided by the various regulation in diderent jurisdictions. l

The centrifuga-l switch embodies a sleeve 2d, loosely mounted upon the shaft 20 and provided at its forward end with a contact head or dange 25. The rear end or? the sleeve 24 has an outwardly daring dange 26, to engagey with the inner ends of bell branlr levers 27. These bell crank levers are provided at their outer ends with weights 28. The bell crank levers are pivoted at 29, upon a cross head which is rigidly inounted upon the shaft 20, and Athis cross head embodies a pair of radial bars 30, clamped tol the shaft 20 at 31, and the bell crank levers are arranged between the ends of these bars and are pivoted thereto by the bolts 29. llt is thus seen that as the cross head rotates, the Weights 28 move outwardly, and the bell crank leverswill force the sleeve 24: forwardly,y and its forward movement is opposed by a compresslll@ -a bindingpost or screw 34, and is tlioi`- ougllly insulated from tbe bead i8 by tbe insulating sleeve 35. 'Elie contact element 33is so positioned it is normally out of contact with the iiange 25, but when tbe sleeve 24 is `oiced `ioi'vvaidly due to 'the action ci' the Weights 28, contact will entlie flange 25, and a cii'cuit will closed, the parte 24- and 25 being ci conise metallic.

As moie clearly sliovvn in Fig. 2, tbe nuineial 36 designates a source of eussent, one pole of which is connected with a Wine 3'?, which is connected with one teiininal of an electic bulb 38, the otliei' teiininal of which is connected with a Wire 39. The Wire 39 is electi'ically eonnected at i0 with 'tbe head i8, and bence 'in electiical connection ivitli tlie Contact flange 25. The binding post is electically connected With a Wire 22, which is connected with the opposite pole of souice oi cuiient. is 'thus seen g engages contract 33, a ciicui't will be closed to canse tlie lanp 3S 'to glow.. this closed circ-uit, @invent one pole of tbe. source of cu ivi'fe 3'?, Wire 38, Wise 3Q, l sleeve 25, Contact 33, wife 4:2 bacir 'to tbe opposite pole of tbe soufce o cuient. is tlieefoie seen that when cai is di'iv'en a speed in excess o a n 38 Wili olovv.

lected speed, that the la i 2i,

contemplate aiianging tlie lamp 38 y any desired conspicuous position upon tlie extefioi of tlie automobile l" may mount tbe saine upon tile 'i'ont leit band endei of the automobile, while 'may place the lamb in any otbei desiied position. is preferred that the lamp 38 be of suoli cliaiactei' that it 'is visible Twhen glowing, from all sides thereof. The lanipmay be oif'any coloi desired oi' iequiied by vaious locations.

The adjustment oit the contacts so that the ciicuit will close at a selected speed is effected by means oi"A an adjusting; screw 43, passing through an opening in tbe contact 33 engaging the bead i8, but tlioionglily insulated therefrom. lt is obvious 'that the contact 33 may tbeieby be shifted oiq justed avvay .from tile flange 25.

The numei'al 33'" designates a second contact, siirnilznn to the centact 33, and adapted to be connected with a circuit ina similar manner as oesciibed in connection with contact 33. By viitue of the large area of "tbel cai" 1s driven beyond a selected speed, the

bulb Will glow.

llt is to be understood that the form of iny invention iieieivitli sliovvn and described is to be taken as a preieiied example of 'tlie saine, and that various changes in the shape, foiin, size, and aifangenient of parts may be iesoited to Without depaiting from 'the spiiit of my invention oi the scope of the subjoined claiins.

l avino' tlius desoiibed my invention l l. The combine-.tio `n tbe steelng nieclianisni of an au 4vinolaile, including a i" o in 1 cenitj l neo nel Wlieel, aiianged casing iigldlv steeming` i, drive D and eiltevnding; outai: mounted 'upon the ilfinanently a sleeve slidei a. yadial ve sliaft c. 'f s pivoted corresponding ends sleeve nieve it in f, caiiied by tbe bell g to opgose the move- 1 one direction, con tact al'ianged Wi tlie casing7 and adapted engage W tbe contact flange when tlie sleeve is siii'ted toward it, and circuit connected with tbe Contact ii cluding a soui'ce of cuirent and a visuel si .al.

2. ln a signal device for automobiles, the combination with tbe steering; mechanism of automobile including the front Wheel, and a steering arm connected therewith to shift the front Wheel and having a fixed `re lation with respect thereto, of a substantially horizontal casing rigidly mounted upon the steering arm, e drive shaft mounted within the casing and extending outwardly therebeyond, a gear inounted upon the outer end oi" the drive sli t, second gear rigidly mounted upon elle iront wheel and permanently engagnw tbe first named gear, a sleeve slidable on tbe diive shaft and having a iadial contact flange, a support cariied by the diive shaft Within the casing, bell crank levers pivoted 'to the ends of the Leaders support to engage the sleeve and shift it in one direct-ion, Weights secured to the ends ot' the bell crank levers, a spring to oppose the movement of the sleeve in one direction., and an annular series of contacts arranged within the casing and adapted to Contact With the contact flange, each of said contacts being positioned different distances from the sleeve, whereby circuits may be closed at dierent times.

3. ln a signal device for automobiles, the combination with the steering mechanism of an automobile including a front wheel and steering arm t0 turn the same, said arm bearing a ixed relation to the Wheel, a casing rigidly mounted upon the steering arm, a rigid substantially horizontal shaft mounted Within the casing, a gear rigidly secured to the outer end of the rigid shaft, a second gear rigidly mounted upon the front wheel and permanently engaging the rst named gear, and a centrifugal circuit closing means mounted Within thep'casing and driven by said rigid shaft. t

Ll, ln a device of the character described, the combination With a casing, of a shaft mounted to rotate therein, a sleeve slidable upon the shaft and having a radial Contact flange, a support rigidly mounted upon the shaft to rotate therewith, bell crank levels pivoted upon the support and engaging the sleeve to shift it in one direction and carrying weights, a spring engaging the opposite end of the sleeve to oppose its movement in that direction, and a plurality of contacts arranged at the end of the flange for engage ment with the Contact flange, said contacts being spaced dilerent distances from the contact flange whereby circuits may be closed at dierent times.

lln testimony whereof l affix my signature.

GEORG-E E. LAMBERTY. 

